YZ400-Grinding noise at kickstarter when running?


kx125racer

Member
Feb 21, 2000
51
0
I was riding the other day and I heard a slight grinding noise from the clutch side of the bike. I got off the bike and the noise was coming from the kickstarter shaft area. I barely moved the kickstarter back and the noise amplified tremendously. I tore the cover off at the shop and inspected the kickstarter spring. It looked fine and the spring was in the proper hole. Any ideas on this. When I put it back together, it still did made the noise.
Mark

1998 yz400f
 

JasonJ

Member
Jun 15, 2001
1,150
1
I have herd of the kick start shaft breaking or bending from peps not useing the comp relese when starting. I dont know if this could be causing the contact or grinding or not. May be eye the kick starter for wobble when working it thrugh the stroke, probably want to take the spark plug out so you can work it with your hand. Do you always use the comp release when you start it?
 

TheMort

Member
May 31, 2000
70
0
Is your kickstarter at all floppy? Mine was pretty floppy and was making a similar noise to what you describe, a slight grinding noise and became louder if I moved the kickstarter around it became louder. So I took the kickstarter off and removed the phillips screw on the back of the kickstarter and pulled the bottom part of the kickstarter out which connects to the shaft. There's a little ball bearing on the part on the bottom part that goes into the kickstarter which pivots when you move the kickstarter out from the bike to kick it. There's a little hole in the actual kickstart inside where the little ball pivots in so the kicker stays in that spot, but on mine the whole was worn from wear and tear and was bigger than it should be and allowed the ball to move around to much and gave the kicker too much play. So I had no idea how to fix that without getting a whole new kickstarter, so I just stuck a little tiny washer into the whole where the ball bearing goes to push it out a little bit more which helps eliminate some of the free play in the kicker. It was the cheapest solution I could think of without getting a new kickstarter. Not sure if this is going to make any sense to you, but you'll see when you take the kicker off and remove the bottom part that holds the kicker onto the kickstarter shaft. The washer helped to eliminate much of the free play and slope of the kicker and the kicker no longer makes that buzzing/grinding sound. Hopefully this is all the noise you're hearing, otherwise it was a lot of explaining for nothing :confused: Hope this helps.
 

SpeedyManiac

Member
Aug 8, 2000
2,378
0
Get a new spring. Your spring is shot, causing the kick starter to sag down and lightly touch the gear which it engages when starting the bike. With the bike running, pull the kickstarter all the way up and see if the noise stops. Also, make sure your boot doesn't catch on it. Mine sometimes does, causing the noise to happen.
 

kx125racer

Member
Feb 21, 2000
51
0
Thanks for the replies. I ordered a new spring cup, the other small spring and a washer that look like wear parts. I will try that and see what happens.
 


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